This dress is an example of Balenciaga's most famous silhouette, which was inspired by the elliptical skirts of the 1860s. He translated the proportions of this earlier period into the modern era with the "peacock tail."

The fitted bodice has a scoop neckline in the front and a deep V-shape in the back. The full skirt has a soft bubble hemline rising to mid-calf in the front and falling close to the floor in the back. Its strong sculptural silhouette is further reinforced by the exceptionally luxurious fabric, slubbed silk and velvet in a small-scale painterly abstract motif.